Valve structure



Aug. 23, 1932. J. M. Ml'rcl-ILL VALVE STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 24, 1930 l ///////.////////////l//l/l//l//VW/ 7mm, f

Patented Aug. r23, 1 932 riirelafn ol-"rlce JAMES MACDONALD MITCHELL, F FLUSHING, NEW 'YORK 'VALVE STRUCTURE yApplication filed September 24,4 1930. Serial No. 484,183.

This invention relates to valve structures and concerns particularly a device of that .type wherein a pneumatic inliatable member Vcooperating with a suitable seat may be utl- 51 lized in connection withgpipes and other conductors to regulate the flow of uids therethrough. r It has heretofore been the practice to utilize metallic valves of various types to control the flow of fluids such as gas, Water and acid through pipes. The disadvantages of the use of a metallic valve in addition to their relatively high cost of construction are that the valve parts may be oxidized, corroded or eaten away by the fluid, and any hard foreign substances which may become lodged between the valve members may prevent their opening or closing, with the result that the valve becomes useless until replaced or repaired. o 20,' It is the principal object of this invention to provide a valvestructure which may be utilized to regulate the iow of fluids such as liquids 4and gases through pipes, wherein the pressure is not excessive, which has all the ad- To control such an expansible valve, vand to 'inflate the same, a simple hand pump or any 40 may be utilized.

In' constructing 4an expansible valve of the desired type various forms of expandlng 1 members may be utilized, either singly or plurally, and. various types ,of seat may be arranged with respect to the expanding member and the pipe with which the structure isr to operate so as to eiiciently control the flow Y Vof Vthe'liquid or lgas therethrough. It will, of course, be obvious that the" present't'ype of 6' ,am be particularly Suited mbeuseq vantages so far as eficiency is concerned asy ber, preferably` of. rubber, in the nature of' suitable source -of fluid under compression lication of the parts shown vin Fig. 2;

in connection with pipes of small or medium diameter wherein the pressure is relatively low or such as to constitute what may generally be termed as a medium head.

Inasmu'ch as rubber possesses many desir- 55 able characteristics such as expansibility and immunity to the corrosive action of water or the destructive action of acids, I deem it preferable to utilize such a material in constructing the inflatable portion of my valve. The thickness of the/material to be used will v be determined by the size of the member to be constructed and the elasticity should be such as to render the member freely expansible without being subjected to adverse dilation or distortion by the pressure of the fluid in the pipe or conduit with which the valve is to be utilized. Except where the pressure is relatively low I deem it desirable to employ rubber` having incorporated therein some reinforcing substance such as fabric.

While, of course, it is possible merely to have the vinflatable member cooperate with the walls of the pipe to'stop the flow, a more eiicient structure will result from disposing a suitable seat also made of'rubber or some similar yielding material in the, pipe to co- ,operate with the expanding member.,

` In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated several embodiments of my invention S0 having the above-described characteristics. It will he understood, however, that the invention vis capable of a wide range of modi-- iicationv and equivalency both with respect to size, formv and shape without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as determinedby the appended claims; i

In the drawing: A

Fig. 1 shows one adaptation of my inven- 90 tion wherein an expansible member is associated with the end of a pipe to regulate iow therethrough; f

Fig. 2 shows another form of my invention wherein an expansible member cooperates with asuitableseat associated with a pipe -to regulate iow through the latter;

Fig. 3 illustrates a third embodiment of my invention constituting a reversal and modi- Fig. 4 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 3; and f Fig. 5 illustrates still another embodiment of my invention wherein a plurality of expansible members cooperate with each other.

Referring now to the drawing, I have in Fig. 1 shown a structure comprising an expansiblemember in the nature of a hollow annular ring 10 including` a thick and relatively rigid outer wall 11 and a thin expansible'inner wall 12 arranged with respect to the end of a pipe 13 and ametallic valve seat 14 permanently positioned with respecttothe pipe so that when an inliating fluid is introduced between the walls of the expansible member, as by means of a conduit 15, the inner wall 12 will be expanded inwardly to the position shown in dotted lines to engage the" pipe end and the seat and thus close the pipe. When the pressure of the fluid in the expansible member is released the expansible member 12 will return to its normal position, due to its own elasticity and the pressure within the pipe, to .permit flow from the pipe past the valve seat.

In Fig. 2 I have shown an expansible member 16 in the form of a bulb or an elastic elon` gated rubber tube closed at one end and connected at the other end through a suitable conduit 17 with a source of compressed fluid.

' Associated with the interior of the pipe and preferably in an enlarged portion thereof such as indicatedby the numeral 18 is a circumferentially extending ring 19 constituting a -valve seat and preferably possessing some degree of elasticity and also, and as shown, having an arcuate cross-section such as will conform to the outer surface of the expansible member 16 when the same is in the expanded position indicated in dotted lines.

lIt will be understood that ay structure of this type maybe positioned at any suitable point in a pipe line and serve admirably to regulate the flow of fluids and like substances therethrough. Due to the expansiblecharacteristic of material such as rubber of which I prefer to construct the member 16, and the elastic quality of fluids such as air and water with which I propose to inflate thesa-me, it will be understood that if a foreign matter such as pebbles or pieces of pipe lining should become lodged in the valve seat 19, the expansible member would readily associate vitself with the valve seat around such foreign matter, with the result that a greater efciency is obtained than results from the use of various types f metallic ,valve and it is f practically impossible for the valve to become inoperative.

In Fig. 3 an expansible member 20, of the type shown and described in connection with Fig. 1, is associated with the inner surface of a" pipe 21 insuch manner that when compressed fluid is introduced into the expansible member through a suitable connection such as a conduit 23associated with a lluid compressor 24, the inner wall of the expansible` member willmove inwardly at all points to cooperate withy a seat 25 extending longitudinally of the pipe and being of sullicient circular` cross-section as to form a fluid tight connection with the wall of the expans1ble member. The valve seat 25, as shown in Fig.

4, may be conveniently disposed in the pipel by means of a transversely extending arm or pin 26, which is anchored in the wall of,

the pipe. To insure better cooperation with the wall of the expansible member, the seat may have a rubber surface.

For the purpose of illustration, I have indicated a hand operated pump 24 controlled by a stop-cock 30 as being suited to conveniently inflate my valve structure. It will be understood that this device is `merely illustrative 'and that any convenient source of compressed fluid and any convenient mechanism for regulating the flow of the inilatin fluid to and from the 'valve structure may e utilized.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a still further modi'- cation of my invention wherein, instead of utilizing a single expansible member to cooperate with a valve seat associated with a pipe, two expansible members 27 and 28 of the type shown and described respectively in connec-A tion with Figures 2 and 3 are positioned in a pipe 29 so that when' an inilating fluid from any suitable source is introduced into the several inflatable members through conduits 29 and 30 the member 27 will expand outwardly to meet the inwardly expanding wall of the member 28. It will also be noted that a tightpendently with the source of inliatin fluidl or with different sources of inlating uid so that the several ex ansible membersmay be actuated successive y, or, when desired, only the expansible member 27 may be utilized.

From th above descriptionof various forms of my valve structure, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that I have provided a new and usefulregulating means of'simple.

and cheap construction wh1ch7 will ellciently serve to regulate the flow of gases, hquids,

liquids containing solids in suspension, acids andlike substances, which posssess numerous advantages over any of the various types of metallic and other type valve structures heretofore `known in the art. As above pointed out the invention is particularly adapted for utilization in pipe lines having a low or medium head, Vbut it will be appreciated that by 3 structure comprising an 'elastic and inflatable l 9" the use of suiiciently strong material empipe so that the expansible wall of the ring .bodied in a structure of suitable size and will contact with and engage the seat when in` shape the invention is capable of'utilization expanded posltlon. y in pipes where a relatively high pressure ntestlmrywhereof Iaix my slgnature. 5 exists. Due to the simplicity of the structure JAMES CDONLD MITCHELL. 70 it can not readily become inoperative, and v its eiiiciency Iin operation will not be impaired by the presence of foreign matter in the pipe. Furthermore, since rubber, of v which I prefer to construct my device,does not 45 corrode, is not Subj ect tothe influence of acids, and possesses a high degreeof durability and resistance to erosion, the structure has a long life and, therefore, will require a minimum of replacement.

I claim:

1. In combination with a pipe, a valve structure comprising an inflatable member, and a valve seat permanently positioned with respect to the pipe so as to contact and en- 85 gage with the inflatable member when the member is in expanded position.

2. In combination with a pipe, a valve structure comprising an inflatable member, and a yielding valve seat permanently posi- 9 tioned with 'respect to the pipe so as to contact and engage with the inflatable member when the member is in expanded position.

3. In combination with a pipe, a-valve member, and a valve seat permanently positioned with respect to the pipe so as to contact and engage with the inflatable member when the member is in expanded position. 4. In combination with a pipe, a valve v 1.00

structure comprising an elastic'and inflatable member, and a yielding valve seat permanently positionedwith respect to the pipe so as to contact and yieldingly engage with the 40 iniatable member when the member is in exl 'm5 panded position. i

5. In combination vwith a pipe, a valve structure comprisingan inflatable bulb, and a valve seat permanently positioned with respect to the pipe so as to contact and engage i no l l with the bulb when the bulb is in expandedv position.

6. In combination with a pipe, a valve structure comprising an'inlatable memberv havmgan expansible wall and a rigid Wall i 115 and a valve seat permanently positioned With respect to the pipe so that the seat Will-con tact and engage with the expansible wall When the memberv is inflated.

7 In combination with a pipe, a valve 12 -structure comprising an iniatable annular ring, and a valve seat permanently positioned with respect to the pipe'so as toy contact and engage with the ring When the ring is in ex- 6.0 panded position. 125

8. In combination with a pipe, a valvel structure comprising an inflatable, annular ring includin an expansible Wall and a rigid Wall and ava ve seat, the several parts being v permanently positioned with respect to the f 130 

